And now, we have a Pod-luck

On Monday, I borrowed a page from my old talk radio days. I invited those on our Zoom call session - a regular weekly feature of this column - to participate in an ‘open mic’ show, meaning we did not have a guest to interview. We started the hour by my asking a question: Think of a leader you know or knew, and what qualities did they possess that you admire? On any given Monday we have between 25-50 people on the call, I’ve then sent the video of the call to all subscribers. I launched this in July, limiting participation to those who are paid subscribers but decided to take down the paywall because the conversations were so interesting I wanted all subscribers to be able to participate. Thankfully, many still sign up to become paid subscribers, which supports the Okoboji Writers’ Retreat scholarship fund. Thank you.Our Monday Zoom participants are from across the state and share one thing in common: they are deeply interested in the state's policy issues. I was pleased to see Terry Rich on the call. He’s an indefatigable marketer, entrepreneur, and author of the book, Dare to Dream: Dare to Act. He’s probably best known as the former CEO of the Iowa Lottery. His presence on the call gave me a chance to ask something that had bugged me for years. I’m old enough to remember the days before the lottery was established in 1985 when proponents convinced skeptics that the proceeds would fund public education in Iowa. So, the lottery became a thing. Why, I asked, did those funds not go to public schools? According to Rich, the answer was that the legislature decided the monies should go into the General Fund.State involvement in gambling as a revenue source smacked of regressive taxation, but with the promise that funds would go to schools, those opposed shrugged. Iowans took the bait, and the switch was made. That’s not on Terry Rich. Still, it’s no surprise that a 2020 Iowa Department of Public Health report estimates that 2.2% of adults experience problem gambling, a number higher than those states not offering legalized gambling. Of course, a guy with the last name of ‘Rich’ running a state lottery opens up a whole new topic: consider surnames of individuals matching their chosen profession. Go ahead. Use the comment section below. There once was an attorney named Lawyer, there once was a cardiologist named Hart….you get the idea. Once you’ve spent a few years hosting talk radio, the brain gets wired that way. But, I digress. In addition to the question of leadership, others on the call are trying valiantly to keep up with bills being introduced in the Iowa legislature. Mary Ellen Miller says she heard there is an effort to remove onsite housing for Iowa State Park rangers. Indeed. She is correct. Cedar Rapids Gazette’s Erin Jordan (an award-winning reporter) has the story: Iowa DNR tells rangers to move out of state-owned houses at parks. The use of state parks is one of the few low-cost ways where Iowans can go on vacation. Without the security of an onsite ranger, it could be less safe. A security camera can’t react to a difficult situation, especially if a well-placed rock has destroyed it. C’mon! Seriously? Are they really going after state park rangers now?What about that humongous state surplus (thanks to the federal government and President Biden)? So, they think it’s okay not to repair the buildings and let them rot? Let’s take this to a logical conclusion. If the structures are not repaired, the rangers move out, god-knows-what-or-who moves in, and the houses will be further destroyed. Is the next step to tear them down? At what cost? The DNR is chasing nickels while dollar bills fly by. Not to mention whittling away at a precious, invaluable resource all Iowans can enjoy. Or is that the point? Destroy the state parks, then sell them to the highest bidder? Who might just happen to be a major campaign donor? This question might arise if the governor were to hold a press conference. Too bad she doesn’t. I’d also ask her about a shocking state ranking I learned from Iowa Public Radio this week: The latest annual report from the Iowa Cancer Registry found Iowa has the second highest incidence rate of cancer cases in the country.According to the 2023 Cancer in Iowa report, Iowa is second only to Kentucky when it comes to incidence rates of cancer and was the only state with a significant increase in cancer cases from 2015 to 2019, the most recent state-level data available.The report predicted 20,800 new cancer cases will be diagnosed in Iowans this year, an increase of 800 from 2022's report. Yes, we have an older population base. Still, we came in SECOND with only one state with a worse record. Kentucky. Remember the days when Iowans boasted they were number one in education? The hour Zoom session flew by, and we all agreed it was time well spent. We have about 25 regulars - some former legislators, a renowned pollster, lobbyists, farmers, lawyers, retired teachers, and activists on any given call. We even have a retired congressional press secretary, who can weigh in on many topics. Monday, we asked his take on how to influence Iowa’s newest member of the House Ag Committee (Zach Nunn) as deliberations take place on the Farm Bill. Take a listen. If the audio version is downloaded several times, I’ll continue posting the Monday Zoom Lunch sessions this way.This coming Monday, Futurist David Houle will be our guest. We caught up by phone recently in preparation for our call. He’ll address a broad range of topics, including what will happen to ‘ghost malls’ all over the country thanks to the shift in retail sales to on-line. By the way, he predicted the retail shift decades ago. A futurist can predict trends, and generate ideas on how to embrace change. If you know someone who is a public office holder or running a business, or you think they would find this session interesting for whatever reason, invite them to subscribe and they’ll be sent a link (free).Invite Link Monday Zoom Lunch with Futurist David Houle: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86476931677You do not have to be a paid subscriber to this column to attend these sessions. If you appreciate what we are doing, you can become a paid subscriber, which supports scholarships for the Okoboji Writers’ Retreat. Enroll in the retreat, and I’ll give you a comp subscription for a year. Enroll: www.okobojiwritersretreat.comI hope you receive the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative column's weekly roundup. It’s so fun to have a collection of links from the past week show up in my email inbox.Here’s our illustrious group in alphabetical order:Iowa Writers’ Collaborative Columnists Laura Belin: Iowa Politics with Laura Belin, Windsor HeightsDoug Burns: The Iowa Mercury, CarrollDave Busiek: Dave Busiek on Media, Des MoinesArt Cullen: Art Cullen’s Notebook, Storm LakeSuzanna de Baca Dispatches from the Heartland, HuxleyDebra Engle: A Whole New World, Madison CountyJulie Gammack: Julie Gammack’s Iowa Potluck, Des Moines and OkobojiJoe Geha: Fern and Joe, AmesJody Gifford: Benign Inspiration, West Des MoinesNik Heftman, The Seven Times, Los Angeles and IowaBeth Hoffman: In the Dirt, LovillaDana James: New Black Iowa, Des MoinesPat Kinney: View from Cedar Valley, WaterlooFern Kupfer: Fern and Joe, AmesRobert Leonard: Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture, BusseyTar Macias: Hola Iowa, IowaKurt Meyer, Showing Up, St. AnsgarKyle Munson, Kyle Munson’s Main Street, Des MoinesJane Nguyen, The Asian Iowan, West Des MoinesJohn Naughton: My Life, in Color, Des MoinesChuck Offenburger: Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger, Jefferson and Des MoinesBarry Piatt: Piatt on Politics: Behind the Curtains, Washington, D.C.Macey Spensley, The Midwest Creative, Davenport and Des MoinesMary Swander: Mary Swander’s Buggy Land, KalonaMary Swander: Mary Swander’s Emerging Voices, KalonaCheryl Tevis: Unfinished Business, Boone CountyEd Tibbetts: Along the Mississippi, DavenportTeresa Zilk: Talking Good, Des MoinesIf you aren’t already receiving the weekly roundup, sign up here:We are proud to have an alliance with Iowa Capital Dispatch.Have you heard the podcast Rekha Basu and I created: What the hell happened to Iowa? We are traveling the state and asking this question and hearing emotional responses: Episode OneEpisode TwoYou can subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or from the episodes. Soon, it will be featured as an offering by the Cedar Rapids Gazette. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit okobojiwriters.substack.com/subscribe